Deadly Tick-borne Infection Affects NJ as Infected Man Dies

New
Jersey has become famous as an area of the country that is well-known for Lyme
disease. However, a new tick-borne disease is making the rounds across the
state. Scientists and health officials are worried about the new disease,
called Powassan virus. They say this new tick disease could eventually affect
more people than Lyme disease.

The Powassan Virus

The Powassan virus in N.J. is spread the
same way that Lyme disease spreads. People get Powassan from a tick bite. Named
after Powassan, Ontario, the first person to die of it was a young boy who
lived in the town. While ticks spread both Lyme and Powassan, Powassan is the
only flavivirus found in the United States. Several other viruses in the
flavivirus family are deadly: Zika, yellow fever, West Nile, tick-borne
encephalitis, and dengue fever.

Symptoms of Powassan

The symptoms of Powassan include fever,
severe headache, and the trademark Powassan virus rash. This is usually close
to the bite area. Other symptoms include neurological symptoms, such as body
weakness and confusion, loss of coordination, speech and memory problems, and
seizures. If doctors don’t catch the disease early, patients risk permanent
brain damage and even death. At the moment, there’s no cure for Powassan. There
is also no treatment other than supportive care.

The Problem with Powassan

Lyme disease can be deadly, but, if caught
early, it’s treatable with antibiotics. Lyme disease only becomes a serious
threat to human health if it goes untreated. However, because Powassan is a
virus, it can be more difficult to treat. Like Lyme disease, if a human doesn’t
know a tick bit him or her, the bite might go undetected. Then, doctors must guess
what disease the person has.

Anaplasmosis is another disease spread by
ticks. Like Lyme disease, it’s a bacterial disease spread through a tick bite. Doctors
can treat it with antibiotics, most commonly doxycycline. The symptoms of
anaplasmosis are very similar to those of Powassan: fever, severe headaches,
body aches, and chills. However, the disease doesn’t progress with neurological
symptoms.

Prevention

It appears the Powassan virus is spreading
in New Jersey. The New Jersey Department of Health reported two cases so far
this summer. One man died of Powassan, while the other is recovering. Since
2013, there have been 10 cases of Powassan in the state. Overall, the virus has
spread to several states in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Upper Midwest, as
well as Canada. Two years ago, New Jersey only had two cases of the disease. Now,
the number of people infected is on the rise. The man who died of Powassan
earlier this summer was 80 years old. He was apparently bitten by a tick in
April. He began running a high fever in early May and began to experience
seizures, as well as speech issues.

There are ways you can protect yourself
from getting Powassan. First, you need to be aware that ticks are most active
in New Jersey between April and September. You need to do everything you can to
minimize contact with ticks. You should avoid hiking, walking or biking in
brushy or bushy areas with tall grass. If you’re hiking, you need to keep to
the center of the trail. Wear long sleeves, long pants, socks, boots, and a
hat. This will help to keep the ticks off you. You must also repel ticks on
your skin and clothes. Make sure the repellent you use has DEET or other repellents
that have been effective against ticks. You can also treat your clothing and
outdoor gear. There are some clothing and gear that companies have pretreated
to help repel ticks.

If a tick bites you, get it checked out. Watch out for high fevers, confusion, body aches, and headaches. A blood test can determine if you have Powassan.

Let’s help you by protecting your property from ticks. Contact NJ Pest Control to see what we can do for you regarding protecting your family and pets.